The Lady of Shalott
by FluffytheDerangedElf
Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha take a trip to England on behalf of Kagome's school project. Wait...there's a well in England? Poem back up. It's very long.


this is a random fanfic, but i lately fell in love

with this poem. one-shot. btw, Inuyasha and Kagome are

close. they've done the whole 'i love you' thing. that

and i'm placing Camelot in Medieval England. you may

not see how this ties in to the story right now, but

you'll find out later. it's sorta long. enjoy!

The Lady of Shalott

"I still don't see why I have to come on this stupid

trip with you." grumbled a certain disgruntled hanyou.

"I need to go to England for a school project. I told

you already, I'm supposed to research the poem

assigned to me in anyway possible. Since the tickets

are free, I figured it's a great way to get a

vacation." Kagome said while stuffing clothes into an

already over full suitcase.

"But I still don't see why I gotta come." Inuyasha

retorted, hoping to confuse Kagome.

"Mom said I couldn't go alone. She and Grandpa have to

run the shrine, so they couldn't come. I noticed you

were a little more edgy lately, so I figured I'd take

you." She answered back, still oblivious to his

objections to going at all, but fed up with his

complaints about why and where they were going.

"Now hurry up and help me close this suitcase or we're

gonna miss our flight."

"Feh."

(England)

"That was one noisy monster. What do you call it,

again?" Inuyasha asked as they exited the airport and

hailed a cab.

"An airplane." Kagome answered, annoyed by his short

term memory. That was the thirtieth time he'd

forgotten and asked her.

(Half an hour later)

"Alright. Now that we're checked into the hotel and

all moved in, I want to go in search of that well."

Kagome said.

"What well?"

"There's a well like the one at the shrine in Japan. I

came here to use it and go back to look at the

surroundings and background of the poem. It's called

The Lady of Shalott. The poem takes place in Medieval

times, near a place called Camelot. The well was built

like the well in Japan, so I have a hunch that it'll

take us to the same era. Lets go." Kagome answered.

(500 years in the past)

(Camelot, England)

"Told ya it'd work." Kagome said when they got out of

the well.

"Yeah, whatever. Just read your silly poem."

"Okay."

"The Lady of Shalott 

_On either side the river lie_

_Long fields of barley and of rye,_

_That clothe the wold and meet the sky;_

_And through the field the road run by_

_To many-towr'd Camelot;_

_And up and down the people go,_

_Gazing where the lilies blow_

_Round an island there below,_

_The island of Shalott."_

"There's the island, Inuyasha. The island where the

Lady of Shalott lived. Lets go look around Camelot."

(Several hours later)

"I've had my fill of Camelot. You?" Kagome asked the

extremely bored Inuyasha.

"I thought this day would never end! Thank kami!"

"Alright, we'll go home then."

_Willows whiten, aspens quiver,_

_Little breezes dusk and shiver_

_Through the wave that runs for ever_

_By the island in the river_

_Flowing down to Camelot._

_Four grey walls, and four grey towers,_

_Overlook a space of flowers,_

_And the silent isle imbowers_

_The Lady of Shalott._

(Present England)

"Wow, Inuyasha. Look at the beautiful trees. And the

reflections in the river! Hey, there's a restaurant

looking over it. Let's eat there. That alright with

you?"

"Hell yeah! I'm starved."

"Come on." Kagome said, leading Inuyasha like a child.

'I wonder if the Lady of Shalott actually existed?'

She asked silentlly.

'With the amount of wierd things that happened in

feudal Japan, I wouldn't doubt it. She just seemed

trapped by her thoughts though. If there was a curse

involved I figure it had her doomed from the start.'

_By the margin, willow veil'd,_

_Slide the heavy barges trail'd_

_By the slow horses; and unhail'd_

_The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd_

_Skimming down to Camelot:_

_But who hath seen her wave her hand?_

_Or at the casement seen her stand?_

_Or is she known in all the land,_

_The Lady of Shalott?_

_Only reapers, reaping early,_

_In among the bearded barley_

_Hear a song that echoes cheerly_

_From the river winding clearly;_

_Down to tower'd Camelot;_

_And by the moon the reaper weary,_

_Piling sheaves in upland airy,_

_Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy_

_The Lady of Shalott."_

"Wow, that was good!" Inuyasha exclaimed, stretching

in pleasure.

"Glad you liked it!" Kagome anwered, made even more

ecstatic by the fact that her companion was in a good

mood.

"Let's take a walk."

"The water's beautiful and clear." Kagome said.

"Do you hear that?" Inuyasha asked after he'd skipped

a handful of rocks.

"That voice? Yeah. It's beautiful."

"It sounds like..." Inuyasha started to say.

"An elven voice, or a fairy." She finished for him.

"Yeah."

They were silent and listened to the singing.

_And moving through a mirror clear_

_That hangs before her all the year,_

_Shadows of the world appear._

_There she sees the highway near_

_Winding down to Camelot;_

_There the river eddy whirls,_

_And there the surly village churls,_

_And the red cloaks of market girls_

_Pass onward from Shalott._

_Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,_

_An abbot on an ambling pad,_

_Sometimes a curly shepherd lad,_

_Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad_

_Goes by to tower'd Camelot;_

_And sometimes through the mirror blue_

_The knights come riding two and two._

_She hath no loyal Knight and true,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

'It must have been tortuer, watching people live their

lives through a mirror. Never able to look through a

real window. And weaving constantly! Poor child. No

friend, or companion. Like it says, no loyal Knight.

Even I have a loyal knight...of sorts.' Kagome

thought, looking at Inuyasha. 'I love him. I've always

loved him. I couldn't live without him. And he knows

that...I think. That makes me pity the girl from the

poem all the more.' Kagome thought, sighing.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked, concern in his eyes.

"Nothing." She answered, leaning her head on his

shoulder.

_But in her web she still delights_

_To weave the mirror's magic sights,_

_For often throught the silent nights_

_A funeral, with plumes and lights_

_And music, went to Camelot;_

_Or when the Moon was overhead,_

_Came two young lovers lately wed,_

"_I'm half sick of shadows," said_

_The Lady of Shalott_

"Let's go back to the hotel, I'm tired." Inuyasha

said. When Kagome didn't respond, he looked down at

her. She had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder.

'I'll carry her back then. She's even prettier when

she's asleep. She's not yelling at me, or making me

sit. I hate this necklace.' He thought, glaring at the

necklace before picking Kagome up and heading back.

_A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,_

_He rode between the barley sheaves,_

_The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,_

_And flamed upon the brazen greaves_

_Of bold Sir Lancelot._

_A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd_

_To a lady in his shield,_

_That sparkled on the yellow field,_

_Beside remote Shalott._

_The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,_

_Like to some branch of stars we see_

_Hung in the golden Galaxy._

_The bridle bells range merrily_

_As he rode down to Camelot:_

_And from his blazon'd baldric slung_

_A mighty silver bugle hung,_

_And as he rode his armor rung_

_Beside remote Shalott._

_All in the blue unclouded weather_

_Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,_

_The helmet and the helmet-feather_

_Burn'd like one burning flame together,_

_As he rode down to Camelot._

_As often thro' the purple night,_

_Below the starry clusters bright,_

_Some bearded meteor, burning bright,_

_Moves over still Shalott_

_His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;_

_On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;_

_From underneath his helmet flow'd_

_His coal-black curls as on he rode,_

_As he rode down to Camelot._

_From the bank and from the river_

_He flashed into the crystal mirror,_

"_Tirra lirra," by the river_

_Sang Sir Lancelot._

Kagome woke in Inuyasha's arms. She didn't inform him

of her awakening. She stared at his face, tracing

loved features often seen by her hazel eyes. His amber

ones glanced down to her's. He smiled lightly, stopped

walking, and tilted his head down to kiss her gently.

He retreated when the kiss was done, and resumed

walking.

'He doesn't need a noble stead and armor to be a

knight. He's one through existing.' Kagome thought,

smiling. She looked up, past his head, to see the

stars.

'Wow, they're beautiful tonight.'

_She left the web, she left the loom,_

_She made three paces through the room,_

_She saw the water-lily bloom,_

_She saw the helmet and the plume,_

_She look'd down to Camelot._

_Out flew the web and floated wide;_

_The mirror crack'd from side to side;_

"_The curse is come upon me," cried_

_The Lady of Shalott_

_In the stormy east-wind strainin,_

_The pale yellow woods were waning,_

_The broad stream in his banks complaining._

_Heavily the low sky raining_

_Over tower'd Camelot;_

_Down she came and found a boat _

_BGeneath a willow left afloat,_

_And around about the prow the wrote_

_The Lady of Shalott_

_And down the river's dim expanse_

_Like some bold seer in a trance,_

_Seeing all his own mischance--_

_With a glassy countenace_

_Did she look to Camelot._

_And at the closing of the day_

_She loosed the chain, and down she lay;_

_The broad stream bore her far away,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

When the couple arrived at their hotel room, the

readied for bed. Kagome called her mother to check in

and let her know that all was well. The two of them

bade each other good night, and slept

_Lying, robed in snowy white_

_That loosely flew to left and right--_

_The leaves upon her falling light--_

_Thro' the noises of the night,_

_She floated down to Camelot:_

_And as the boat-head wound along_

_The willowy hiss and fields among,_

_They heard her singing her last song,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

_Heard a carol, mournful, holy,_

_Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,_

_Till her blood was frozen slowly,_

_And her eyes were darkened wholly,_

_Turn'd to tower'd Camelot._

_For ere she reach'd upon the tied_

_The first house by the water-side,_

_Singing in her song had died,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

_Under tower and balcony,_

_By garden-wall and gallery,_

_A gleaming shape she floated by,_

_Dead-pale between the houses hight,_

_Silent into Camelot._

_OUt upon the wharfs they came,_

_Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame,_

_And around the prow they read her name,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

_Who is this? And what is here?_

_And in the lighted palace near_

_Died the sound of royal cheer;_

_And they crossed themselves for fear,_

_All the Knights at Camelot;_

_But Lancelot mused a little space_

_He said, "She has a lovely face;_

_God in his mercy lend her grace,_

_The Lady of Shalott._

A misty shape gazed through the window, said quietly "You have all I ever desired. Love, happiness, life. Bless you, child." It disapated, to take eternal rest. The Lady of Shalott had observed the two, day in and out, and found a peace of mind, and rested...forever.

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